She Will Be Loved
by Satine89
Summary: Naruto messes with time, and now Sakura is the foxdemon child. Rock Lee and Naruto are the only ones who remember a happier time will Lee snag Sakura or will he save his village? FINISHED PG for mild language and romance.
1. Default Chapter

She Will Be Loved

Yay, a fanfic that's not completely random! And it's about Rock Lee! Yay Lee!

Kaiba: …

Satine: I didn't tell anyone about this fic, so pleeze review! I love y'all! Oh, and I'm obsessed with… Angels and Demons by Dan Brown!

Ren: She's gone nuts. So I'll introduce the story.

Satine89 Presents

She Will Be Loved

A Naruto Story

Mandark: So can I say the disclaimer?!

Kaiba: …

Satine: I don't own Naruto! Yay! I don't think I could deal with the publicity if I did!

Mandark: I hate you…

Ren: God, just get this over with!!


	2. One

She Will Be Loved – One

Today was no different from any other day. I walk up to Sakura, beautiful Haruno Sakura, ninja of many surprises. The soft silent footsteps of mine don't alert Sakura of my presence. Her red dress billows softly in the wind, as does my own hair.

"Sakura?" I ask. Sakura turns. Her eyes don't lie – she was hoping I was someone else, namely Uchiha Sasuke, male heartthrob of Konohagakure. She looks me over.

"What is it, Lee?" Sakura asks. Her hands are intertwined, close to her bosom.

"You still haven't changed your mind about me, have you?"

Sakura sighs. "Lee, I told you, I don't like you THAT way. I'm sorry, that probably sounds mean, but it's the truth."

My heart aches. I only have eyes for Sakura, but Sakura has eyes only for Sasuke. Ah well. Life stinks in that way. It doesn't matter what I do, or where I go, or who I meet – I will never be as good as Uchiha.

Doesn't Uchiha mean paper fan? How could you like a guy who's named Paper Fan Sasuke? That occurs to me as Sakura walks away.

I am left alone on this grassy hillside. I feel another tear in my eye. Another tear I shed for her. It's not unusual for me to cry for her – I have done so many times before, and I probably will many times again. I sit down on this hilltop, watching dainty Sakura walk away, my eyes lowering, my stance drooping, my heart breaking.

"Whatcha doin, freak?"

The voice that belongs to Uzumaki Naruto rouses me from my depressing stupor. The idiot is staring me straight in the face; a strange look on his face, lips puckering and eyes squinted.

"I got rejected again, flunky."

"Same boat, dork."

Naruto takes a seat beside me, his mouth now curling into the goofy smile I am so accustomed to.

Naruto Uzumaki has quickly become one of my best friends, now that the exams are over and we have all managed to survive. None of us can become the Hokage yet, but Naruto tries. A lot.

Naruto sighs. He, too, loves Sakura, but he met her way before I knew she existed. The look on his face suggests that he will get over it, something I cannot do.

"What'd you do today, stupid?" I inquire. Naruto laughs.

"I pestered Master Kakashi, I caught Sasuke by surprise, got rejected by Sakura for the fifth time this week, and I found a cool scroll thingy in Gai's office."

I smile. One of Naruto's new favorite pastimes (besides pestering Kakashi for no reason) was going through Master Gai's stuff. Last week he found two rubber bands, a copy of Make-Out Paradise, and a picture of Anna from Shaman King, confirming our belief that he likes mean girls.

"What was on it?"

Naruto shrugs. "It was something about a space-time continuum, and there was a complex spell on it, so I performed it, but nothing happened. Oh well. Total bust."

My happiness turns to shock. "What did it look like?"

"Ah. It was forest green with a giant red stamp on it. Said something in English, I couldn't read it."

I blanch. "It said 'DANGER', nimrod! You weren't supposed to read it!"

Naruto blinks. "Why?"

"That thing could change the passage of time!"  
Naruto says nothing. But he is trying to. He suddenly throws up on the ground below. I scoot away, and then scream.

"Naruto! What's wrong?"

Naruto passes out on the hill below, unable to move at all.

"NARUTO!"

I feel my own body twinge. My eyes feel like they're about to pop out, and my head is killing me. Darkness eats away at the corners of my eyes, and I try to remember exactly what it is I'm doing. I can no longer think straight, and the last thing I remember is hitting the soft ground with a thud.

---

"Lee!"

Someone is trying to rouse me. I look up. It's Sasuke Uchiha – and Naruto is nowhere to be seen.

"Sasuke?"

"Good thing you came around," Sasuke smiles. "You looked pale."

I remember that I had most definitely been with Naruto earlier that day on the same hill. But Naruto isn't there. I had seen him throw up, and faint.

"Where's Naruto?" I ask with caution.

Sasuke looks at me like I'm crazy. "Why would Naruto be here? He's probably trying to ward off his fans."

I know that Naruto's only fan is shy little Hinata. I cock my head.

"You're acting really strange, Lee," Sasuke shrugs. "Oh well. Naruto gets all the attention. I hate him. Just because he's from the Uzumaki clan…"  
"Uzumaki clan?" I repeat. I know I sound stupid, but I don't know what's going on.

"How bad did you hit your head?" Sasuke asks rhetorically. He sighs. "Uzumaki clan. The most powerful clan in the world, inheritors of the famous solid doppelgangers… and the uncanny ability to attract the ladies."

I realize that Naruto's spell had worked. He must have obviously messed around with the past, changing the future somehow…

"Man, what gives Naruto the right to have Hinata hang over him? I hate that," Sasuke grumbles.

Then I realize with a shock that I'm the only one who even vaguely remembers the past.

The real world, with darling Sakura and strange babe Ino hanging over Sasuke, Hinata silently pawning over Naruto…

I wonder if Kakashi's finished 'Make Out Paradise' in this new world.

"Let's go see Naruto," I say suggestively.

Sasuke narrows his eyes. "Why? I hate him. He thinks he's so cool, just because he doesn't like the attention."

"WHAT?!" I yell randomly. Sasuke glares at me.

"You've been acting really strange, ever since Hinata rejected you again." Sasuke raises an eyebrow. "Come on. She's denied you at least five dozen times."

This Sasuke is still reserved, still the same good-looking introverted genius. He still has the Uchiha blood in him, and he has is headband still cocked on his head. I can't figure out why he's so stubborn now, like Naruto used to be.

I hear a crash. A girl that I know very well is running, laughing like crazy. Her pink hair flows in the wind behind her.

I stare, blankly, at my Sakura, who's wearing her headband over her right eye, carrying her shuriken on a leg holster, and yelling obscenities at her chasers.

"Stupid Sakura," Sasuke moans. "She did something again."

"What?" I whisper. Sasuke shakes his head. He doesn't hear me.

"She's so smart. Why does she act like such an idiot?" Sasuke asks himself.

I gaze in shock at Sakura. Now that I look closer, I can see her stomach. And tattooed on it is a large spiral, with many symbols around it. There's no doubt about it. The Fox Demon that terrorized Konohagakure was imprisoned in Sakura.

Normally, Naruto would be the one acting like an idiot. But I guess that Sakura acts like an idiot now.

"Naruto, you fart-head…" I murmur.

"What?" Sasuke says bluntly.

"Nothing," I respond. I realize I should probably watch what I say.

Sakura runs by Sasuke and me. "What are you two doing here? They'll run you over."

Sakura keeps running, passing Sasuke and me. Sasuke looks at the angry villagers, but in typical Sasuke fashion, I see no reaction. I, being typical Lee, stare at Sakura running away.

A villager I recognize as Iruka, one of Naruto's few confidantes, stops to look at Sasuke and me.

"I can't do anything about that girl, ya know? She's so intelligent, yet so idiotic…" Iruka moans. He looks tired.

"But she's so hot," Sasuke mutters under his breath as Iruka chases after his charge.

I guess that, in the same way Sakura loved Naruto in the real flow of time, Sasuke sees Sakura in a strange light now.

Too bad that Sakura looks like she's having the time of her life yelling random statements at Iruka and a stream of villagers.

Sasuke shrugs. "Oh well. Let's see what the others are up too… and what Sakura did this time…"

I nod and follow Sasuke, the man I hated only three minutes before.

---

Shikamaru slams down a chess piece. Ino slumps her head.

"How can you be so good at chess?" she groans.

Sasuke and I look at Shikamaru and Ino. Ino looks back at me, and smiles. "Hey, Lee. What's up?"

I do a double take. That is indeed what Ino said to me.

"Just seeing what everyone's up to," I answer. I was relieved that I spoke the truth… I think…

"Hello, Sasuke," Shikamaru greets. "Care for a game? Ino sucks."

Ino glares at Shikamaru. "Shut up. I need to get good at chess, so I can look smart for Naruto!"

My eyes grow large. I wonder exactly how different Naruto is in this world.

"Sorry. I think I should take Lee to a doctor. He doesn't seem quite up to snuff," Sasuke responds.

"Oh, let me guess. Hinata dumped you again. Just like she did with everyone else," Shikamaru spits on the ground. "I hate her."

I find it rather hard to believe that anyone could hate Hinata. She's very shy, sure, but she never hurt anyone.

"That little snot rag?" Ino snorts. "All she does is flirt with Naruto. I get the feeling he's like everyone else – he knows she's a waste of time that'll break your heart for the next guy she sees."

"That's not Hinata!" I suddenly yell. Ino, Shikamaru and Sasuke stare at me.

"You really should take him to a doctor," Ino finally says.

I start to breathe heavily. I know that none of this is right, not at all.

A warm hand falls on my shoulder. It's Naruto, the one person I wanted to see the most.

"Naruto?" I say blankly.

"Naruto?" Ino asks, her eyes becoming glassy and a smirk curling on her face.

"Come on," Naruto states flatly, and he drags me away. When out of sight from Sasuke, Ino, and Shikamaru, however, he begins to talk like the Naruto I know.

"You know something's wrong, right Lee?" Naruto inquires, his eyes not moving from the street. He's stopped dragging me, and I have to walk very fast to keep up with him.

"Obviously," I reply. "Sakura's gone nuts, Sasuke's unpopular, Ino's nice…"

"It's my fault," Naruto continues. "I performed that spell. I changed the flow of time, and now I have to change it back."

"How come you remember the real world, and I remember the real world, but no one else has a clue why I make such outbursts?"

Naruto sniggers. "I guess I changed time… who'd have thunk it, the dunce can change time."

"Naruto this isn't funny!" I cry. "Who knows what happened before now?"

Naruto does look downward, and stops in the middle of the sidewalk. "You saw Sakura, didn't you?"

I nod. I had been unable to get the brownish spiral image out of my mind… and to have Sakura flaunt it so readily was mind-boggling.

"I screwed up, big time," Naruto frowns. "Now we just have to figure out where that scroll is now, and reverse this. Just the both of us."

I grin. Adventure is eagerly beckoning to me, and I want to set out immediately. Naruto senses the fervor that wells up inside me and smiles widely.

"Let's find Master Kakashi. Maybe he knows what to do."

I nod, and Naruto and I weave through the streets of Konohagakure. The maze of people is claustrophobic, and it seems different from the city I once knew.

Naruto seems to know where he's going, and before I know it, we stand before the old school building. This building seems a bit foreign to me, seeing as I had been training with Master Gai, and more recently been in the Chunin exams, and hadn't visited in a while.

"Why are we here?" I ask Naruto.

Naruto still has a sardonic grin on his face; his ninja headband perched on his head. He says nothing and pushes the door to the school open.

Inside is an empty classroom, and at the edge of the classroom is a woman I never thought I'd see again.

---

"Anko?" I scream. "Anko? You're going to trust Mitarashi Anko?"

Naruto nods. "I've been told that she, not Iruka, was my old mentor. Oh well, they say that me and Iruka are still great friends."

I place my head in my hands. "This is great, Naruto."

Anko looks up from the other side of the room. "Ah. Uzumaki. What can I help you with?"

I gulp. I remember Anko, the nutcase that proctored the second part of our Chunin exams. She actually licked Naruto's blood.

"We need to see Master Kakashi," Naruto explains. "It's very important, Mistress Anko."

Anko raises an eyebrow. "Stop making stupid requests."

"What are you talking about?" I counter.

Anko looks down at the pair of us. I swallow.

"Kakashi…" Anko's voice is beginning to falter. "Kakashi imprisoned the fox demon inside of Haruno Sakura with the help of the fourth Hokage… they're both long dead, and you know that."

Naruto shutters, breathing in a heavy breath. His eyes are widening, his mouth is trembling, and he looks genuinely devastated. Not that I'm unaffected. I hold back a tear, and another, and lower my head.

I want to kill Naruto now. Shove a shuriken in his heart, beat him mercilessly, do something to him.

He killed Kakashi.

"You killed Kakashi," I murmur under my breath. Naruto looks at me. "YOU KILLED HIM!"

I punch Naruto in the face, knocking him to the ground. I feel something restrain me, and I realize that Anko pinned me to the wall using a three-pronged windmill.

"What on earth are you talking about, Lee?" Anko screams. "Pull yourself together!"  
"He's telling the truth," Naruto moans. He rubs some blood out from the corner of her mouth. It leaves a red stain on his orange shirt.

Anko gives Naruto a strange look of misunderstanding. Naruto stands up shakily. I still want to smack him senseless, but I don't budge.

"Mistress Anko, you have to listen to us," Naruto says. "I screwed up the world, and we have to make it normal again."

Anko looks at us like we're nuts, but nods. "I have no clue what you're talking about, but… tell me what you mean."

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Naruto...

Ren: So now you like Rock Lee?

Satine: No, not the way I like you...

(Ren blushes)


	3. Two

**She Will Be Loved – Two**

"So," Anko says, "all we have to do is find that scroll?"

I nod. "Yes, that's pretty much it."

"We like our old world," Naruto grins widely. Anko continues to lead us through the city, towards a tall building made of spiraling marble and straw accenting.

"What's your world like?" Anko inquires.

I look downward. "Kakashi is alive… and… Naruto is the one with the fox demon inside him… and Hinata's shy, and Ino's mean, and… Sasuke's popular…"

Anko looks completely bemused. Obviously she finds this hard to believe.

"Naruto…?" Anko repeats. Her eyes widen.

At that moment, Sakura begins to walk with us.

"Hello, Mistress Anko," Sakura smiles. I see her tattoo, because her shirt is a red halter-top, reminiscent of the dress she used to wear. The bottom of her dress is now Sakura's skirt.

Anko grins. "Hello, Miss Sakura. What mischief have you caused today?"

I pause. Did Anko just say what I thought she did…?

"Nothing much. I just hit Gaara with a frying pan," Sakura whines. "Boring."

"Genius!" Naruto yells. "I should have thought of that!"

Sakura blushes. I finally get the pairings here. Sasuke likes Sakura, as evidenced by earlier outburst. Sakura likes Naruto, indicated here. Hinata likes Naruto, and apparently a lot of other people. Ino likes Naruto, said earlier. Shikamaru likes chess. (Okay, so maybe not really a pairing, I think.)

And I'm the third wheel. I hate that. I'm ALWAYS the strange dude with the strange hairstyle and amazing ninjitsu skill. Never anything more, never anything less.

"Where's Hinata?" Sakura asks. Naruto becomes pale.

"Don't know."

Anko looks to me. "You said earlier that the scroll was in Master Gai's office."

Sakura cocks her head. "Scroll? Like that one I stole from Master Iruka?"

Naruto's jaw drops. My jaw does more or less the same thing. We are both thinking the same thing too – is THAT the scroll?

"What scroll?" I ask immediately, nearly suffocating poor Sakura.

"What was on it?" Naruto asks, doing the same thing I was.

Sakura frowned slightly. "It had something about some skill… the Sharingan Copycat Eye, I think."

Naruto and I blanch. The Sharingan Copycat Eye, the famous skill of the Uchiha clan… then again, Naruto's solid doppelgangers are now hereditary.

"You mean that hot-snot Uchiha clan thingy?" Naruto screams. Sakura looks at Naruto.

"Do you think you're funny or something?" Sakura snaps. "There is no Uchiha clan. Duh. Even I know that."

"There is an Uchiha though," I muse. "Uchiha Sasuke, brilliant ninja, smart guy… wants revenge… is this ringing a bell?"

Sakura flips her hair out of her face. "What on earth are you babbling about?"

Naruto's eyes are wide too.

There's no Uchiha clan. No Kakashi. No Sasuke being fondled. No Naruto being laughed at. No Sakura being smart. No Ino trying to be sexy. Nothing that we know. Everything is so foreign to me – and I can tell that Naruto feels left out too.

"Mistress Anko," I press, "we must see Master Gai."

"Gai?" Sakura chuckles. "He's with his team."

Naruto is already running towards the training grounds. I have to sprint to keep up with him.

Mistress Anko and Sakura stare at us blankly as we run away.

---

Naruto and I glance at each other in utter disbelief.

Master Gai is waiting for his team to show up. His team appears to be Gaara, Sasuke, and…

…Hinata.

Gaara is already here. He rubs his head precariously, obviously where Sakura hit him.

"Gaara looks the same," Naruto says. I suppose he's trying to reassure me or something, but it's not working.

Hinata, however, is another story entirely. She still has the same cute hairstyle, but she is a voluptuous teenager. A form fitting short-sleeved shirt and a skirt has replaced her normal jacket. She almost reminds me of Ino.

Hinata sighs and looks at the ground. "Where is Sasuke?"

Naruto is on his knees, drooling. Finally, he realizes how great Hinata is.

Something tells me I don't want to see the inside of his mind at this moment.

"Little dork should have been here fifteen minutes ago," Hinata finishes, pulling out a small mirror and touching up her makeup.

Something falls to the ground. I recognize it as Naruto's drool and do nothing. Just as Naruto wipes his mouth, Sasuke runs over to where Gaara and Hinata are standing.

Sasuke gives his two teammates a bow and sits down on a tree stump. Master Gai comes out from behind the shadows.

I gulp, and then proceed to hand Naruto a handkerchief. Hinata is leaning over in his direction, and he's got a pretty bad nosebleed…

…Naruto is finally on the receiving end of his Ninja Centerfold, in a way. I giggle at this thought.

"Late again, Sasuke?" Master Gai sighs. I blink. Sasuke's never late for anything.

"Sorry, Gai-sensei," Sasuke apologizes frenetically. "Lee was acting very strangely… Naruto stole him and I was chasing after them for some time."

"Waste of time," Gaara mutters as he tries to reconnect his optic nerve, forming his third eye.

"Naruto took Lee?" Hinata jumps up, clearly interested. Naruto is still holding the handkerchief to his nose.

"Yeah. Naruto," Sasuke grumbles. "I'd like to give that pretty boy a piece of my god damn mind…"

"Sasuke!" Hinata slaps Sasuke. Hinata glares at him. "How dare you speak of Naruto that way!"

Gaara shakes his head, and then looks to Master Gai. "Can we start? Please?"

Master Gai throws a shuriken at the hyperventilating Hinata. She stares at him for a very long time.

"All right. Now, we must run around the training ground! Three laps!" Master Gai smiles. Gaara says nothing, Sasuke nods, and Hinata groans.

"Again?" she sighs. I see the faint glint of a shuriken, and then I see Hinata gulp. The three kids set off running.

Master Gai is alone now. I look to Naruto, who isn't moving. I glare at him.

"When I move, my nose starts to bleed again," Naruto counters. "Go open the door yourself."

I carefully move to the metal door, the entrance to the training ground. I pull a bobby pin out of my pocket, and Naruto grins broadly from behind his handkerchief.

The bleeding stops. Naruto starts to laugh full on. "A BOBBY PIN? Man, that's funny!"

I punch Naruto in the nose. It starts to bleed again.

I stick the bobby pin into the lock and fiddle around with it, and the lock yields. The gate opens with a clank, and Master Gai glances to Naruto (once again, on the ground) and me.

"Rock Lee? Uzumaki Naruto?" Master Gai says. He looks a bit shocked.

"Hello, Master Gai," I greet him. Naruto would be saying something if his nose wasn't bleeding so hard.

"Oh yes," Master Gai reminisces, "I forgot that Ibiki gave you and Naruto the day off."

Morino Ibiki, my sensei. This world couldn't be screwier.

"Master Gai, you wouldn't happen to have a green scroll in your office… would you?" I ask with great interest. Master Gai raises an eyebrow.

"No," Master Gai shrugs. I don't have any scrolls. You might want to ask Shikamaru. He seems to collect them."

Naruto's jaw drops. So does mine.

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. And by the way, I can't believe I made Sasuke cuss…


	4. Three

She Will Be Loved – Three

"Why does my collection interest you so much, Uzumaki…?" Shikamaru asks us as we watch him glance at his marvelously huge collection of scrolls. There is no doubt about it, he is indeed a genius. So many scrolls, all of them in prime condition, inside glass cases, surrounding Shikamaru's plain room.

"Shikamaru, you won't believe this, but I'm the fox demon," Naruto says. Shikamaru stares at Naruto in disbelief for a few seconds before he bursts out laughing.

"Are you nuts, Uzumaki?" Shikamaru manages to spit out amidst laughter. "That Sakura chick is the fox demon, remember? That psycho freak is the demon! Don't put yourself down on her level."

I begin to shake. My emotion is ruling me, and I can't stop myself from running away from Shikamaru and Naruto.

"Lee --!" Naruto cries, but I can barely hear him as I dash away from the scene. I bang the door of Shikamaru's house open, and I run to where I left Mistress Anko and darling Sakura. Of course they aren't there.

I go to the next best place – the grassy knoll where I first learned of Naruto's crazy actions. I sit down upon the fresh grass, my arms wrapped around my knees and my mind throwing random thoughts back and forth, across the realm of my brain.

Shikamaru, that huge bully! Why did Naruto look so pained when I ran away? Naruto dragged me into this. Where's Sakura? Sakura, my love…!

I see someone out of the corner of my eye. It appears to be Sakura. I stand up and walk towards Sakura…

…Sakura looks up to me.

"Hey, Lee," Sakura sighs. I sit down beside her, and Sakura looks down at the emerald grass. She looks depressed.

"Hello, Sakura," I smile. Sakura gives a faint grin, but her eyes are still downcast. "What's wrong?"

"…Lee, have you… ever really liked anyone, but they didn't like you back?" Sakura asks.

I feel like yelling, 'No crap!' But that probably isn't the best idea.

"Yes," I respond. Sakura looks into my eyes, and I see one of the most enchanting features of her. Her eyes, those eyes with the power to suck your soul into her, to glimpse into your life…

"Well, then, I guess you'll understand… because… I really, really like…" Sakura blushes, another very attractive thing about her. "…I really like Gaara…"

I nearly fall backward. "Gaara?!"

"Ha hah! You actually fell for it!" Sakura giggles. I sigh. That scared the crud out of me.

"No, I actually like someone who's long dead…" Sakura murmurs. "And I know it can't work out, with him not alive and all."

"Oh?" I ask. "Who is it?"

Sakura gets a tear in her eye, a tear so miniscule that I could barely see it. "My old teacher… the one guy that taught me the biggest lesson of all. Orochimaru… my teacher… and lover…"

I nearly throw up. My stomach is bubbling nervously and my eyes become wide. Sakura notices this.

"…But that's the past, Lee. Two years ago. When I was thirteen, when I was naïve and crazy." Sakura looks to me. I gulp. "There's someone else now, though… and that's why I'm so depressed…"

"Who?" I ask tentatively. Sakura smiles, and I think I know the answer.

"Rock Lee. A bit strange, but very smart… you need to be taken for who you are, not how different you are… I learned that…"

Sakura leans in closer to me. I know what will happen now, because that's what always happens in movies, when the girl finally confesses and the guy likes her too…

I feel something that strangely resembles passion inside my system, and Sakura kisses me. It's warm and soft and I like it…

I don't want to let go. I don't care about the stupid scroll. For Sakura finally loves me!

But Sakura lets go. I don't exactly understand why at first, but then I look up to see Hinata's grinning face.

I expect to hear cruel laughter, or jeering. But instead I hear, "I told you, Sakura. You can get anyone you want if you try."

Sakura looks upward. "Thanks, Hinata. I owe you."

"No prob," Hinata smiles as she walks away. "Now, on to making Naruto mine…!"

Sakura and I watch Hinata walk away, just as Sasuke runs up to me. Sasuke looks a bit harried, and Sakura's eyes widen.

"I can't be here!" Sakura screams.

"What?" I ask. Wow, I feel brilliant now.

Sakura jumps up and runs down the hill. I am compelled to follow her, so I do. She runs so fast; I can barely keep up with her.

And then, Sasuke is following me, so he's trying to keep up as well. What a tangled web.

Sakura finally stops, in a clearing. But the clearing isn't clear at all. A person, who seems to be an adult jonin, is watching Sakura. Sakura can't tell, but from my position, I can see a pair of eyes – and a shuriken, poised to kill.

I see Sasuke out of the corner of my eye. He's panting, and he tries to get to Sakura. I stop him.

"Lee, what are you doing -?" Sasuke asks in a low whisper.

"Don't you see that person?" I ask him.

"What person?"

"In the clearing," I clarify.

"No."

I gulp. I don't like this, not at all. I watch in horror as Sakura leans to the ground and pulls out a kunai knife. Slowly, she digs a hole in the ground with it, and as the dirt falls away, I see a scroll.

Sakura clearly has no idea that anyone is watching her. She lifts the heavy scroll out of the hole, and lays it on the ground.

"Is this the scroll Master Mizuki was talking about?" Sakura pants.

"Master Mizuki?"

I turn around. Naruto managed to sneak up on me. He's with Shikamaru, who appears to be a bit irritated. He's clutching a large green scroll.

Sakura opens the scroll. Naruto gasps and drops the scroll on the ground. The person moves their hand back, about ready to throw the shuriken. I run out into the clearing.

It all happens so fast. Mizuki throws the shuriken, Sakura shutters, Sasuke steps backward in shock, Shikamaru's eyes widen, Naruto cries out in anguish, I stand above Sakura, a shuriken sticks out of my chest, and blood pours onto the ground.

I feel that saving Sakura's life is the least I can do.

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Naruto.

A/N: I'm sorry about the late update. I really wanted to make sure this chapter got written perfectly – I mean, come on. Sakura kisses Lee, and now Lee is about to die. I had to make sure this flowed perfectly.


	5. Four

She Will Be Loved – Four 

I watch my own lifeblood slowly leak out of me. Sakura is frozen in shock and fear, as is most everyone.

Mizuki finally steps out into the clearing. "Lee? What are you doing here?"

"Does it really matter?" I huff, panting. My head tells me to sit down, to rest, but I can't do that. Mizuki tried to hurt Sakura. He'll pay…

"Get out of the way," Mizuki growls. I see Sasuke climb up a tree out of the corner of my eye. I don't know what the heck he's trying to pull, but whatever it is, it better work.

I'm slowly dying. Sakura still won't move, tears forming in her eye only to be dried up.

"No!" I yell, standing firmly on the blood-soaked grass. I yank the shuriken out of my body, causing the wound to split open even farther. Sakura yelps, Naruto steps backward…

But I can see Shikamaru flipping a scroll open. But this one is red, and it's covered in horribly scrawled kanji that I've never seen before.

"Are you sure this'll work?" Shikamaru desperately calls to Naruto as he runs to my side.

"Yeah!" Naruto responds, jumping into the clearing himself. Both of them assume the same position, their hands moving furiously.

I hack up some phlegm-like blood. My eyes are repulsed yet transfixed on the sight. I know I have hardly any time left.

Sakura closes her eyes, and I can't hear her whimpers anymore. Mizuki has grabbed a giant shuriken out of his belt loop.

"Move, Lee!" Mizuki screams.

"I won't!" I cry desperately. "I don't care what you do to me…! But she can't die!"

I know talking is killing me slowly, but I don't care at all. "She won't die… she won't…! I swear, Sakura…!"

I fall to my knees, panting. I can't live much longer. Sakura is focusing all her energies to something… Shikamaru and Naruto have finally stopped moving their hands… and Sasuke is still poised and waiting, waiting for God knows what…

"Art of the Doppelganger!" Naruto shrieks.

"Ice Crystal Magic Mirror Technique!" Shikamaru calls into the air.

Hundreds of water droplets move to form mirrors, surrounding Mizuki. Thousands of flesh-and-blood doppelgangers reflect in the mirrors, and a few more stand outside of them.

Mizuki whirls around frantically. Naruto's thousand copies have all armed kunai knifes, and the ones outside of the mirror ball arm their shuriken.

In a well-placed move, Mizuki grabs a kunai knife and stabs a mirror. The mirror shatters, sending a bloodied Shikamaru against the ground. The thousand Naruto copies disappear. Now there's only about ten. Mizuki looks at the Naruto copies… when one of them strikes him in the back, coming from behind. Mizuki falls, more blood being shed.

Mizuki, however, isn't so easily defeated. Mizuki flips Naruto onto the ground, slamming him into his comrade's own blood and sweat. Shikamaru is clinging to his consciousness, I can tell, with his eyes flittering open then closed. He still holds the green scroll in his arms, cradling it like a baby.

Naruto is out cold on impact with the ground. Now crimson blood dribbles from his mouth into the red pool.

I stare up at the tree Sasuke was occupying. He jumps down to look at the near-defeated Mizuki. Mizuki looks pretty mad.

Sakura opens her eyes. There is a strange symbol swirling around in it, and she looks pretty determined.

Sakura copies Shikamaru's hand movements from moments before with swift efficiency, and then stops. She narrows her eyes precariously, and shouts, "ICE CRYSTAL MAGIC MIRROR TECHNIQUE!"

I gasp as mirrors surround all of us. I can see myself, and I look bad. There is blood coating every square inch of my body, except for most of my face and my left foot, and the cut on my chest is deep and showing no signs of congealing completely. I try to move, but movement hurts. The puddle of blood I stand in has gotten ripples in it from my slow, jerky movement.

But Sasuke has a glint in his eye. He forms a completely alien chakra sign, and then smirks assertively.

"CHANGE!" Sasuke cries. Sakura shakes as she tries to hold the mirrors up, but her energy is growing low. Shikamaru opens the green scroll, and Naruto begins to come to, opening his eyes slowly but surely.

Sasuke is engulfed with smoke. Sakura is trembling in pain, but she doesn't waver. Naruto sits up doubtfully, and Mizuki pushes himself up off the ground… but then Sasuke… if you can call him that… emerges from the smoke.

Except he's a naked girl… a very good looking one at that. He smiles, as his reflection is blasted at Mizuki.

"I like to call it the Ninja Centerfold, Mizuki-sensei," Sasuke smirks, brushing a strand of long, flowing black hair out of his (her?) face.

Mizuki's not listening. He suffers from a positively huge nosebleed, and falls headfirst into a mirror.

Sakura stops the attack, flopping onto the ground in exhaustion. The mirrors disappear, save the one Mizuki shatters, and Sasuke transforms back to his normal, suave self.

How can he look so relaxed? He's…!

I forgot that he's not so tense in this world.

Shikamaru and Naruto are beginning to finally snap out of their funk. Sakura breathes heavily, heaving and huffing, gasping for air.

I collapse onto the ground. I know I am close to death, and that if something isn't done quickly, I'll be with Kakashi and Naruto's parents…

"Lee's dying!" Naruto cries. My eyes are flittering closed, and I can barely see the orange-clad friend before me.

"What do we do then?" Shikamaru asks. My eyes are now completely closed.

"Lee!" Sakura shrieks. "Lee!" My breathing is slowing down… I guess it's inevitable now…

"Give me the scroll!" Sasuke suddenly orders. I can almost feel his tense gaze boring a hole through Shikamaru. I can't see it though. I can't see anything, frankly.

"What?"

"Give it to me!"

I am barely tethered to the world. I know… now it's my turn to leave… goodbye, Sakura… Naruto, Sasuke… Shikamaru… Master Gai… goodbye…

---

"What's wrong?"

"What happened?"

"I don't get it…"

"You don't get _anything_."

"Look, he's coming about!"

I open my eyes slowly. I'm alive. I look at my hands. They aren't stained with my blood. I look at my chest. No gaping hole. No blood. No signs that anything fatal ever happened.

I blink. Around me, many people gather around. Naruto Uzumaki, his goofy grin and stupid stare that I hadn't seen in so long. Sasuke Uchiha, back to his tense and moody self. Sakura Haruno… looking concerned…

But she doesn't have the same look to her. The one that said she'd never leave my side again, that she'd never stop loving me…

It hits me.

"What happened?" I ask immediately, sitting up straight away. I see even more people, like Shikamaru, who has a look of strange relief.

And even more settling is the fact that Kakashi is standing in here.

"Kakashi…!" I manage to stammer. "Sasuke…! Sakura…! Naruto, Shikamaru, Ino…!"

"How hard did you hit your head?" Sakura asks blankly.

"My head?" I repeat.

"Yeah," Shikamaru answers. "You suffered a concussion. You're lucky Sasuke found you."

"Yay Sasuke!" Sakura cries.

"Yay!" Ino yells.

The room, gradually, clears out after a few hours of talking and such. I am shocked to see that Naruto and Sasuke are the only two left here. I'm not so shaken by Naruto staying. He is, after all, one of my few friends. But why Sasuke…?

"You're just going to let her go?" Naruto finally says. I cock my head slightly.

"You mean Sakura?" I ask.

"No, I mean Ino. Of course I mean Sakura," Naruto snaps. Sasuke looks at the floor.

"I don't blame you for being confused," Sasuke sighs, "because that was confusing."

I blanch. "He… he…?"

"Yep, he remembers everything from that world," Naruto nods. "And he saved you…"

"Naruto," I frown, "I hope you learned something from this."

"Yeah," Sasuke scowls as well.

"Oh, yeah, I did learn something," Naruto smiles. "Hinata is my soul mate!"

Sasuke and I are on the same wavelength, for I stood up and we both walked menacingly over to him…

And I'm just a bit glad. For whatever reason, I'm glad to be back in my normal world. So what if Sakura doesn't think anything of me now? She did at one point.

And that's all that matters.

Well, that and pounding a lesson into Naruto… pardon the pun.

The End

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Naruto.

A/N: Yes, this was a fairly short story for me. Everything had to move at a fast pace, otherwise it wouldn't have had the same… punch, I guess.

So, for my second serious Naruto project (okay, Sasuke Gets Stuck in a Hole… that was NOT a serious project!), I am writing something from Sasuke's POV… I'll give you the title and a short summary…

Sasuke, Day In and Day Out is the title. The summary? Okay… Sasuke, Naruto and Sakura are forced to live in a house together. Sasuke keeps his usual deadpan attitude as he adjusts to his new life, dealing with morning slogs, laundry day, and everyday life.

It sounds weird, doesn't it?

Why isn't anyone talking?


End file.
